13 Stellar Homes From The 13 Original Colonies

We have 50 states now, but 237 years ago, there were just 13 Colonies with a handful of settlements in each. To celebrate Independence Day, we're taking a real estate tour through each colony and getting a history lesson along the way.

Virginia

Once upon a time, this residence was a tavern serving the seaport town of Urbanna. The story goes that the quaint residence even hosted Patrick Henry, the lawyer and future legislator who openly argued for the Colonies' freedom from British rule.

Massachusetts

The construction date of this home is just eight years after the colony of Massachusetts was founded by Puritan settlers. Coined the Thomas Gleason House, this residence has seen its share of history and updates, but it still has some of its original Colonial characteristics.

New Hampshire

Little-known state fact: New Hampshire was called North Virginia when it was first founded in the 1620s by Capt. John Smith, (yes, that John Smith of Pocahontas fame.) This stately gentleman's farm residence didn't see Smith, but boasts a 5,500-square-foot home, 680 feet of lake frontage and a location just 90 minutes north of Boston.

Maryland

This 18th-century stone home was originally built for the governor to the king of England. Years later, the home is still grand. The 7-bedroom, 5-bath home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits on a pastoral setting an hour from the the nation's capital.

Connecticut

Built years before the rumblings of revolution led to all-out war, this lakefront Connecticut property sits above a sloping lawn and quiet beach. The 3-bedroom, 3-bath home has been updated from its Colonial roots and includes freshly refinished hardwood floors and a water-facing porch.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be small in size, but its role in the Revolutionary War was big, as it was one of the first Colonies to declare independence from British rule. This sprawling Colonial home may have housed the first stirrings of dissent. Located on a large lot, the 5,210-square-foot home has views of Mount Hope Bay.

Delaware

Federal architecture transformed into 21st-century living. This 1700s home has been overhauled on the inside to incorporate an open floor plan, new finishes and modern amenities. The 1,700-square-foot home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

North Carolina

North Carolina, like many Southern states, was fueled by a plantation economy. This 1785-built home is a remnant from that time. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the North Carolina home has 4 bedrooms and 4 baths within 3,015 square feet of living space.

South Carolina

An outspoken critic of the Stamp Act and British rule, Col. John Ashe led an attack on British-held Fort Johnston. He was later captured and died while a prisoner of war, but his historic home still stands. The stately 10,756-square-foot residence has 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms.

New Jersey

Fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence, including the Rev. John Witherspoon, who was also the sixth president of Princeton University. Witherspoon's stone manor was painstakingly restored by a Princeton architect in 1998 and is located just minutes away from the university's campus.

New York

This home was once an 18th-century barn and was transformed into an artistic residence. Built green, the spacious home takes advantage of the surrounding mountain and meadow views with large picture windows. Measuring 5,620 square feet, the house has 6 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.

Pennsylvania

Once a tavern and the site of a 1778 Loyalist uprising, this Newtown home is thought to be the oldest framed building in the state of Pennsylvania. Standing for more than 300 years, the home has original pine floors, six fireplaces and 9-foot-plus ceilings.

Georgia

This Southern residence was built in 1779 for William Woodward and was given a face-lift less than 100 years later in 1848. Typical of the period, the home's entrance is marked by white columns, and a rear-facing porch looks over a meticulously-kept garden.